wax seal crest french i think

[blonde_minx]

Hi i need help with this crest i think its french, its the bottom part of a wax seal,

Thanks

Blondie

[AG2012]

Simplified Coat of Arms Second French Empire (1852–1870).

[blonde_minx]

Hi
Thank you for the information, could this crest be used by anyone or does it belong to a family
Regards

[blonde_minx]

Hi I have just worked out the initial to each side near the top, it is for N B, as this is the 2nd French Empire these initials are more likey to be for Napoleon iii, i was just wonderfing would he have used this seal himself or would it just be used officially, any help would be appriciated

Thanks

[blonde_minx]

Just thought i would add the photo of the stunning desk wax seal which is a bronze of Napoleon 1st with which has the crest of the 2nd French Empire
best wishes

[dognose]

Great item Blondie, thanks for sharing it with us.

Trev.

[blonde_minx]

Hi
I have been informed that this may be an imperial seal, though im not sure exactly what that means

blondie

[AG2012]

Can we see the image of the whole object?
That might help.
Thank you

[blonde_minx]

Hi
That is the object, it has that crest to the base, i will try and put a couple more pics on a little later

best wishes

[blonde_minx]

Hi

Here are some more pics as you requested, thanks for your time

[AG2012]

This would be the seal in wax (mirror image)

Having seen the figure of Napoleon I and the way it was cast in bronze I am sure it cannot be an item that belonged to the French court and let alone the emperor, not even to an Imperial office. Most likely, it was a fancy seal of a Napoleon admirer who had his initials engraved.
Btw. I have a miniature painting of Lord Horatio Nelson, ivory under concave glass, original gilded box and several museums numbered tags on the back. Not for a single moment I thought it had belonged to Lady Hamilton or whoever was close to the admiral. Although, being boxed, the miniature was not meant to be displayed. Personal belongings of royalty, historical celebrities etc just do not fly around. They were popular and, depending of the country, reproduced in various ways.
Do not be disappointed, the seal is nice and worth collecting.

Best wishes

[blonde_minx]

Thank you for your reply as i know nothing about it, interesting though,

the head of a Napoleonic society overseas has said it wouldnt belong to Napoleon lll but may have been used as an imperial seal, he wrote ..... It is possible that this was used by an imperial secretary (of which there were many)

so i suppose i will never know
Best wishes

[AG2012]

My response was based on ``how it`s made`` in lost-wax casting or ``cire perdue`` in French. Traces of the mold are never left in well executed bronze or silver. Much handwork is required to finish a raw figure emerging from the mold (``la ciselure`` or chasing, carving, chiseling, engraving, tooling).Otherwise, one can see rough surface and even lines where two halves of the mold have been closed. In this particular case I suspect much cheaper sand casting of the figure with front and back parts having been joined (mold lines and shallow details).
Never mind, this is really a benevolent remark how to recognize well executed casting, either bronze or silver.
Best wishes

[blonde_minx]

Thank you for your comments, as i said i have no idea so welcome your words and do appreciate them, you have much more knowledge on the subject than i will ever have, so thank you for your information

Best wishes

[JLDoggett]

I would hazard that the initials are spurious at best. Napoleon's cypher was a N surmounted with an imperial crown. Those initials do not fit well in their space which is at odds with most imperial items. Even as he was dying he requested that hhis headstone be marked with just Napoleon (like most kings), something the British refused to do.